I'M AN NFL WAG... I KEPT MY JOB AS A NURSE DESPITE MY HUSBAND MAKING MILLIONS
- Parker Henry, 29, is married to New England Patriots player Hunter Henry
- She's a registered nurse and worked even after he started earning millions
- More, Mom who spent 10 years 'gentle parenting' admits it was a mistake
Despite being married to a professional athlete, Parker Henry has kept her job as a registered nurse - and loves it.
The 29-year-old, who shares two children with husband Hunter Henry, opened up about her decision to keep working - despite her spouse playing for the New England Patriots and earning millions of dollars.
The pair met while they were both studying at the University of Arkansas - where Parker was completing her nursing degree - and embarked on a long-distance relationship after Hunter was drafted to the Los Angeles Chargers in 2016.
They got married in 2018, which was also the year Parker graduated and began working as a labor and delivery nurse, despite her husband signing lucrative, multi-million-dollar NFL contracts.
'Working as a nurse for two and a half years gave me a sense of purpose and fulfillment,' she shared in a new essay for Business Insider.
The Henry family then moved to Boston, Massachusetts, in 2021 after Hunter signed with the Patriots, and Parker discovered she was pregnant with her son a short time later.
With a baby on the way, she decided to take some time off from nursing. They went on to welcome a baby girl to the family in 2023, and now have a third baby on the way.
In 2024, the tight end signed a three-year contract with the New England Patriots, which included a base figure of $27 million, making for an average annual value of at least $9 million per season.
Despite Hunter earning more than enough money to support the family, Parker said she's not done with her nursing career just yet, even though she finds her role as a mom very rewarding.
'Now, my purpose and fulfillment come from raising our soon-to-be three kids,' Parker explained.
'I don't think I'm done with nursing, though,' she added. 'I joke that I'm going to become a school nurse to follow the kids.'
In addition to opening up about her career, Parker also revealed how she feels about the threat of being uprooted if her husband is moved to a different team.
She explained that although they live in Massachusetts and own a house near Gillette Stadium, where the Patriots play, they still own a house in Arkansas and used to travel back there during the off-season.
'Now that my son is in preschool, that's getting harder,' she admitted. 'We don't want to take him away from the school that he loves.'
'I'm also pregnant, due in March, and we're planning to stay in New England year-round for the first time,' the mom shared, admitting she tries not to think about the prospect of moving.
'But I'd be lying if I said it wasn't on my mind,' she said. 'We've been very, very fortunate to be in New England for five years.'
The mom also spoke about the delicate balancing act of running her home and the difficulties of having a husband who travels a lot.
'The kids and I go to all the home games,' she said, adding it's more complicated when Hunter is playing an away game, as they need to work out their own flights and accommodation, which often won't line up with his.
'The team always flies home after the game, no matter how late it ends, so Hunter gets home before the kids and me if we travel to away games,' she explained.
'Because of that, we usually only go if we have friends or family in the city where he's playing. I'd rather be at home to greet him after the game and spend the next day together.'
However, she said she'll still watch his games with her son - provided it works around his nap time.
'The glitz and glam [of being an NFL wife] isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially when you're handling the mental load of running a home, getting the kids to school, and packing lunches,' Parker said.
'Hunter has no idea what's going on at home during football season,' she continued. 'I rely on paid help, since we don't have family living near us. It really does take a village.'
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